stay in his good books.'
'Is
he persuadable, do you think?' she enquired with interest. The ease of
relationship between the Marquis and his brother was clear to see.
'The
horses or the commission? Usually he's very amenable, but I have my doubts
about both.' Matthew shrugged and grimaced, but seemed unwilling to discuss the
matter further. Frances smiled sympathetically before turning her attention
back to the scene around her.
Matthew
drove her sedately round Hyde Park. It was at its busiest with the members of
the ton wishing to see and be seen. Gossip
had obviously been busy, for Frances detected much interest in The Bride. Some
of the glances were direct and overtly curious. Some were brief, followed by a
whispered aside. She cringed inwardly from the content of the speculation and
wished Aldeborough was with her. She felt her shoulders tensing and her fingers
gripped the carved ivory handle of her parasol as if it would be torn from her
grasp at any minute. What did she expect? Her marriage was obviously the on-dit of the moment. Matthew, aware of her growing
silence, cast a glance in her direction, noting the set of her lips and the
faint line between her brows, and proceeded to keep up a steady stream of
trivial information about those who hailed them.
'You
don't have to worry,' he ventured finally, as his comments elicited little
response. 'No one will snub you, you know, no matter what the gossips say. As
Marchioness of Aldeborough, you will have automatic entree into the best
circles. Unless you do something outrageous, of course, and that's unlikely.'
Frances
smiled in gratitude. She was not convinced, but out of good manners she forced
herself to relax and be entertained.
A
dashing group on horseback overtook them and cantered sedately into the
distance.
'Do
you ride?'
'Oh,
yes. Aldeborough and I decided that it is one of my few talents.'
Matthew
looked at her with an interested enquiry.
Frances
laughed at his expression. 'When I was deciding whether to become a governess
or not,' she explained enigmatically. 'Aldeborough decided that, on
reflection, it would not be a good idea.'
'I
shouldn't think it would be. I remember Juliet treating
Miss Dennison very
shabbily. I doubt if you would enjoy it at all—marrying Hugh sounds a much
better option to me.'
'Yes. I suppose it is.'
Matthew's quizzical glance made Frances change the subject rapidly. 'But I can
ride. I occasionally accompanied my uncle when he went hunting, to exercise
some of his horses. Would your mother approve, do you think, if I rode in Hyde
Park? It must have been the only aspect of my upbringing not under discussion
last night!'
'I doubt it.' They
exchanged a smile in perfect understanding.
'Aldeborough brought home
a little Spanish mare.' Matthew picked up the conversation again. 'She is at
the Priory for the present. She's not up to his weight—or mine, sadly— but she
would be perfect for you. Then you can cut a dash with the best of them.'
'I would like that.
Aldeborough was with the Army in the Peninsula, I understand.'
'Yes. Forgive me. I forget
how little you will know about him—and I know he rarely talks about his army
days. He was a Captain in one of the Hussar regiments, but had to sell out when
Richard died. He didn't want to, but it left him little alternative. I wish he
would let me go.'
'He wasn't very
encouraging, was he?'
'No. I could accept his
decision with more forbearance, but I know how much he enjoyed it. Not the
carnage and the loss of friends, and the horrors of the siege of Badajoz, of
course. But the strategy and the...well, you know. And he was probably destined
for great things. He was mentioned in dispatches after the Battle of
Salamanca.' Matthew sighed as he manoeuvred his horses round a group of
saunterers. 'I wish he would talk about it more, but he just clams up. It is
one thing to read about it in The Times , but
it is quite another to hear it from someone who was in the thick of it. All
'Is
he persuadable, do you think?' she enquired with interest. The ease of
relationship between the Marquis and his brother was clear to see.
'The
horses or the commission? Usually he's very amenable, but I have my doubts
about both.' Matthew shrugged and grimaced, but seemed unwilling to discuss the
matter further. Frances smiled sympathetically before turning her attention
back to the scene around her.
Matthew
drove her sedately round Hyde Park. It was at its busiest with the members of
the ton wishing to see and be seen. Gossip
had obviously been busy, for Frances detected much interest in The Bride. Some
of the glances were direct and overtly curious. Some were brief, followed by a
whispered aside. She cringed inwardly from the content of the speculation and
wished Aldeborough was with her. She felt her shoulders tensing and her fingers
gripped the carved ivory handle of her parasol as if it would be torn from her
grasp at any minute. What did she expect? Her marriage was obviously the on-dit of the moment. Matthew, aware of her growing
silence, cast a glance in her direction, noting the set of her lips and the
faint line between her brows, and proceeded to keep up a steady stream of
trivial information about those who hailed them.
'You
don't have to worry,' he ventured finally, as his comments elicited little
response. 'No one will snub you, you know, no matter what the gossips say. As
Marchioness of Aldeborough, you will have automatic entree into the best
circles. Unless you do something outrageous, of course, and that's unlikely.'
Frances
smiled in gratitude. She was not convinced, but out of good manners she forced
herself to relax and be entertained.
A
dashing group on horseback overtook them and cantered sedately into the
distance.
'Do
you ride?'
'Oh,
yes. Aldeborough and I decided that it is one of my few talents.'
Matthew
looked at her with an interested enquiry.
Frances
laughed at his expression. 'When I was deciding whether to become a governess
or not,' she explained enigmatically. 'Aldeborough decided that, on
reflection, it would not be a good idea.'
'I
shouldn't think it would be. I remember Juliet treating
Miss Dennison very
shabbily. I doubt if you would enjoy it at all—marrying Hugh sounds a much
better option to me.'
'Yes. I suppose it is.'
Matthew's quizzical glance made Frances change the subject rapidly. 'But I can
ride. I occasionally accompanied my uncle when he went hunting, to exercise
some of his horses. Would your mother approve, do you think, if I rode in Hyde
Park? It must have been the only aspect of my upbringing not under discussion
last night!'
'I doubt it.' They
exchanged a smile in perfect understanding.
'Aldeborough brought home
a little Spanish mare.' Matthew picked up the conversation again. 'She is at
the Priory for the present. She's not up to his weight—or mine, sadly— but she
would be perfect for you. Then you can cut a dash with the best of them.'
'I would like that.
Aldeborough was with the Army in the Peninsula, I understand.'
'Yes. Forgive me. I forget
how little you will know about him—and I know he rarely talks about his army
days. He was a Captain in one of the Hussar regiments, but had to sell out when
Richard died. He didn't want to, but it left him little alternative. I wish he
would let me go.'
'He wasn't very
encouraging, was he?'
'No. I could accept his
decision with more forbearance, but I know how much he enjoyed it. Not the
carnage and the loss of friends, and the horrors of the siege of Badajoz, of
course. But the strategy and the...well, you know. And he was probably destined
for great things. He was mentioned in dispatches after the Battle of
Salamanca.' Matthew sighed as he manoeuvred his horses round a group of
saunterers. 'I wish he would talk about it more, but he just clams up. It is
one thing to read about it in The Times , but
it is quite another to hear it from someone who was in the thick of it. All
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